Updating the NIH BRAIN Initiative: A Dialogue with the AAN

Research Methodology, Education, and History, Experiential Learning Area, General Neurology

Director(s):

Walter Koroshetz MD, FAAN

Description:

Launched in 2014, the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain. Guided by its strategic plan BRAIN 2025: A Scientific Vision (https://www.braininitiative.nih.gov/strategic-planning/brain-2025-report), NIH has invested over $950 million to fund over 500 projects at more than 100 research institutions accelerating the development of new technologies to identify all cell types in the brain, map out their circuit connections, observe circuit activity in real time, manipulate circuit function to understand how the brain works, and, ultimately, to treat the many neurological and psychiatric disorders that arise from circuit malfunction.
A new external scientific working group, the Advisory Committee to the Director of NIH (ACD) BRAIN Initiative Working Group, is reaching out extensively to the research community to assess progress and identify how the Initiative can best invest to realize its vision through the second half of the Initiative. This WG hopes to release their draft report in the spring of 2019 for public comment, making the May AAN meeting an ideal moment for an interactive session to get feedback and insight into how the BRAIN Initiative can maximize opportunities to meet its audacious goal: understanding how the brain works, and how brain disorders occur. Presentations will include an overview, panel introductions and remarks, perspectives from the BRAIN researcher working with clinical patients, perspectives from the BRAIN collaborator and clinician-researcher, and panelist discussions and audience engagement.
The Advisory Committee to the Director on the BRAIN Initiative has recently issued a draft report which can be found here: https://www.braininitiative.nih.gov/strategic-planning/acd-working-group/brain-research-through-advancing-innovative-neurotechnologies
There is an open call for responces and comments. The request for feedback can be found here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-NS-19-041.html